2015 NBA Playoffs Thread: The Zebras are Loose

[elcheato]

Probably because the Cavs were dominating everything in their path with Kevin Love? 
 
He was averaging 16.5/10 when the Cavs "weren't using him right". He's never once made any indication he's leaving, because he's not going to. As this season has shown, LeBron is getting older, and even somewhat breaking down. Love's role will expand in the coming years. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

You get so defensive whenever anyone brings up the possibility of Love leaving haha

 

[elcheato]

I like to pass my wisdom and all telling truths to other people. I'm a giver

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I like to pass my wisdom and all telling truths to other people. I'm a giver

 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

You get so defensive whenever anyone brings up the possibility of Love leaving haha

It's quite sad

 

[elcheato]

But it's not quite sad to keep peddling a narrative that you aren't even informed on?
 
I guess I'll stop posting about it, and just revisit it when he re-signs. 

 

[cruzg24]

Mexi was right damn it. These conference finals were cake walks, best part is Mexi was hedging hard on the rockets so when they get knocked out im expecting something like:

"I saw it coming, no surprise there."

 

[Pugz]

But it's not quite sad to keep peddling a narrative that you aren't even informed on?
 
I guess I'll stop posting about it, and just revisit it when he re-signs. 

you get all of the same information we all get. why is your opinion more informed? because youre from ohio?

 

[Pugz]

mind you, i still think he stays

 

[elcheato]

you get all of the same information we all get. why is your opinion more informed? because youre from ohio?

Because the sentiment is based on the national media, most of which has been lazy reporting (similar to what was going on with Kyrie last year), which people are just latching onto. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Cavs are 11-2 in the playoffs, point differential of 7.2 points a game. You could argue they've played just as good offensively AND defensively as anyone in the playoffs. They're dominating without Kevin Love. I won't even say "he's just spotting up" because that's not really even true. He's been used as a decoy for Cleveland, essentially. Every so often they'll run actions for him but he's mostly being used to set up actions for LeBron and Kyrie. He's not even Chris Bosh in Miami with LeBron and DWade, he's basically a guy that's been cast aside and is an emergency player if Kyrie or LeBron can't go. They'll also spot him up along the perimeter, but not nearly as much as people seem to want to believe. Can you deny that Love is happy doing this? Everything we've been told says the opposite, that he is not in favor of how he is being used.

Defensively though, that's even bigger. We all know how horrible Love is defensively, this isn't anything new. But how about Cleveland going from a below average team defensively in the regular season to one of the best teams defensively in the post season, sans Love?

 

[elcheato]

Cavs are 11-2 in the playoffs, point differential of 7.2 points a game. You could argue they've played just as good offensively AND defensively as anyone in the playoffs. They're dominating without Kevin Love. I won't even say "he's just spotting up" because that's not really even true. He's been used as a decoy for Cleveland, essentially. Every so often they'll run actions for him but he's mostly being used to set up actions for LeBron and Kyrie. He's not even Chris Bosh in Miami with LeBron and DWade, he's basically a guy that's been cast aside and is an emergency player if Kyrie or LeBron can't go. They'll also spot him up along the perimeter, but not nearly as much as people seem to want to believe. Can you deny that Love is happy doing this? Everything we've been told says the opposite, that he is not in favor of how he is being used.

Defensively though, that's even bigger. We all know how horrible Love is defensively, this isn't anything new. But how about Cleveland going from a below average team defensively in the regular season to one of the best teams defensively in the post season, sans Love?

They were beating very good Western teams handily with Kevin Love. All throughout the playoffs the talk while the Cavs are winning is that the East sucks, and now all of the sudden it's saying something about the Cavs without Love? The defense is better without Kevin Love, there isn't much to argue there, but they also have gone up against Boston, Chicago (an offense known for it's lapses), and a Hawks team that struggled against Brooklyn and Washington. The Cavs offense AND defense statistically has been better with Kyrie off the floor in the post-season, should they get rid of him too? What they're doing now offensively isn't sustainable. They're depending on below average shooters (Dellavedova and Shumpert), guys like James Jones who haven't played significant minutes in years, and JR Smith hitting contested shots late in games.  What they're doing as a team now offensively is un-explainable. 
 
They can make it through the East because they have LeBron, but they cant win games with that offense against actually good teams. 
 
I don't know if Love is unhappy because he isn't being featured like he was in Minnesota, but I imagine he is indeed happy with going into a winning locker room every night. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

The Kyrie/Love comparison is a poor one btw as well, consider the sources.

Nobody reputable had any "sources" that said Kyrie wanted out. Anyone who believed that was an idiot, Love on the other hand, completely different. I don't know if he's going to leave, passing up the money and the winning could change anyones mind, but to brush it off and say unequivocally that he's staying, that's just as idiotic. Numerous reputable sources or people have said that he at the very least it interested in other options.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Not to mention Kyrie literally had no way out given he was a RFA and would've been stupid not to have taken that money

 

[elcheato]

Brian Windhorst led the charge on the Kyrie situation, and he has been the driving force with the Love one as well. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Brian Windhorst doesn't know anything that isn't about what LeBron is having for breakfast this morning

 

[elcheato]

Is there a pre-determined schedule for the NBA finals if it starts on the 4th, or do they determine that after the Conference finals are done? 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Since when is Windhorst reputable? Especially given the fact that he had left Cleveland with LeBron.

I still don't think he's very reputable, but there is more reason to believe him this season than last given the fact that LeBron is back with Cleveland. But he's not even who I'm talking about. You have a lot of guys much more reputable that have reported on the chance that Love goes elsewhere.

 

[buzzy]

Can't wait to dig out every single one of Dan's post as soon Love signs somewhere else.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

That's gonna be a long post